Solving Problems

Left this at DPM Facebook page in response to what he said about last night MPS. I thought I wanted to capture it here as a reminder.

"Some of these problems which cannot be solved today, we hope time will change the problem enough to be solvable. We work towards an environment tomorrow which they are more easily solved. "

Daily Flash Movies

Bumped into a mysterious problem yesterday. iwisoft SWF to video converter acted strange. The converted video on my PC and my notebook produce completely different file sizes and play times. It worked correctly on the notebook but the movie played way beyond where the music ended.

Reminiscent of the time I was producing DVD versions. Never understood how I solved the problem then. It was tweaking some obscure software by trial and error. This is no way to operate.

Morgan Stanley Alumni

This just came in the mail. An invitation to me to join the Morgan Stanley alumni after more than a decade since I left the bank.

No, I don't think I am signing up. Email my ex boss earlier if she is keen to join.

Fresh grads prefer these firms

These are the most popular government and related; and private sector employers for fresh graduates. I am surprised. Perhaps I shouldn't be. These are fresh graduates after all.

I don't think these companies deserve to be the bottom, but at the top? Especially SIA and DBS? These young men and women are ill informed and inexperienced and they missed the many better employers. But not so I  believe for the children of well connected parents. This would really give them a head start in building their careers.

Top employers

Top 5 government or government-linked employers of choice:

1. Singapore Tourism Board

2. Economic Development Board

3. Ministry of Education

4. National University of Singapore

5. Defence Science and Technology Agency

Top 5 private employers of choice:

1. Apple

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Google

4. 3M

5. DBS Bank

DEWA bills

Yet another irritating email from ebppadmin or DEWA. We have been gone from that bombed out place for so long and still they hound us with these utilities bills. The tenancy contract expires long ago and I wonder why the unit was never rented out again. Is Mr. Taleb even still with us? That untrustworthy and lying landlord always pretending that he is out of the country. Of course the housing agent is as bad and unreliable.

iPads, lots of interest but sales?

I don't see many people at the cashier's queue waiting to pay for an iPad but there is always in every outlet that offer it, not a single iPad that is in someone's hands anytime. It is a great way for any specie of germ to spread themselves: finger tip to finger tip.

$728 the lowest priced iPad is still pricey. I hope and see a lower price coming. $499 x 1.35 should $674 in our currency isn't it?

3-D Movies

I think they are just a passing fad which appears to me more persistent than expected. Bereft of other more exciting ideas, consumer electronics companies are piling into making 3-D TVs. You can't quarrel with the numbers 3-D movies are raking in. Everyone is doing it and nobody is going to get fired for betting with 3-D. You might lose your job and also damage your resume if you bet contrarian and it turns out that you are wrong. The fad could last longer than you could last in your job too. Remember 3G telephony? Every telco paid too much for a licence.